Signaling device



I. B. WALKER.

SIGNALING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 31.1920- RENEWED MAR. 12,192].

1,375,806. I Patented Apr- 26, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

LB Vial/96f;

ATTORNEYS WITNESSES I l/VVE/VTUR I. B. WALKER.

SIGNALING DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 31, 1920. RENEWED MAR. 12,1921.

1,375,806. I Patented Apr. 26, 1921.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

WITNESSES INVENTOH W2 .I. "/ZZZ/Per; V

I M 6. 4". mm

A TTUR/I/EIS "certain new and UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

IRA BAILEY WALKER, OF ETITA MILLS, CALIFORNIA.

SIGNALING DEVICE.

To all whom it may concern i Be it known that .I, IRA BAILEY WALKER, acltlzen of the United States, andiresident of Etna Mills, in the countyof Sislciyou and State of California, have invented useful Improvementsin S1gnal1ng Devices, of which the following is a specification.

y'invention is an improvement in signallng devices, and has for itsobject to provlde mechanism of the character specified adapted to bearranged on highways for warnlng drivers approaching each other fromopposite directions, at dangerous places 1n the road, wherein each car,as it approaches the danger point, operates'mechan1sm which controls'a'signal at the opposite side of the danger point, means beingPIOVldGd in connection with the signal for causing itto be displayed aspecified length of time and to afterward permit it to'move lntoinoperative or non-display position, and wherein the means operated bythe vehicle is so arranged-that only vehicles moving in one directionwill operate the same.

In the drawings; 4

Figure 1 is a front view of the improved signal;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical section through a portion of the roadwayshowing the operating means for the signal controlled by the vehicle;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view'showing the means for causing the signal tobe displayed a redetermined length of time;

ig. 4 is a perspective View of one of the bell cranks;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the weightcontrolled plate;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the guide for the plate;

Fig. 7 is a diagrammatic view showing the arrangement for a crossing.

In the present embodiment of the inven tion suitable posts 1 arearranged at the opposite sides of a danger point, as, for instance, anarrow place or turn, or, as shown in Fig. 7 the posts may be arrangedon the four sides of a crossing or road intersection. Each post isprovided near its top with a semaphore arm 2 which is plvoted to thepost, as indicated at 3, and each semaphore'arm carries a legend, as,for H1- stance, Gar coming, or any other desired warning.

The pivot pin 3 upon whlchthe arm Specification of Letters IPatent.Patented Apr. 26, 1921 Application filed March 31, 1920, Serial No.370,275.v Renewed March 12,1921, I

swings is fixed, and the semaphore arm 2 has an extension 4 which has abearing engaging the pin. The semaphore arm is moved lnto the dottedline position of Fig. 1 from the full line position of the said figureby the mechanism shown in Fig, 2. At a suitable distance on each side ofthe danger pomt or from the intersection of the" two roads, there isprovided a pit5 at one side of the roadway and 'in position such thatone side of a vehicle must pass over the pit, the pit being of a lengthsuflicient to insure that the car cannot pass without passing overthepit.

v Referring to Fig. 2, it will be seen that one wall of this pit,namely, that wall remote from the danger point, is perpendicular, asindicated at 6, while the opposite wall 7 is undercut. Within this pitthere is arranged a block or plate 8 which normally abuts theperpendicular Wall 6 and which sen aim. 451,842. T

is normally held elevated so that a portion coming from the left of Fig.2 strikes the block the plate 8 or said block may swing with the movingvehicle a suiii'cient distance to operate the semaphore arm 2 beforeengaging the upper edge of the beveled wall 7 coil spring 10 is arrangedbetween the block and a fixed point in the roadway, and this spring actsnormally to hold the block in the position shown in Fig. 2. That portionof the pit bottom which is not below the block or plate 8 is deepened,as shown at 11, to receive foreign bodles that mlght fall into the pitand to provide a receptacle for such bodies so that they w1ll notinterfere with the proper working of the block 8.

A link 12 is connected with the block or plate 8 at one end and at theother with a bell crank 13 which is pivoted" at a suitable point in aconduit or tunnel 14f: which leads from the pit 5 to the post 1 withwhich the block 8 isdesigned to be connected. An-

other bell crank 15 is arranged at the bottom are connected byconnections 16, which may be wires or the like. From the bell crank 15 aflexible member 17 passes upwardly overdirection elements 18 at the topof the post and then downwardly to a connection with the extension 4 ofthe semaphore arm. The arrangement is such that when the block or plate8 is swung toward the undercut wall 7 of the pit the flexible member 17will be moved in a direction to swing the.

the kick-back of the vehicle wheels will not tend to swing the plateorblock away from the wall 6. As soon as the springs 9.

move the plate or block upwardly the latch will release the catch. 8

Means is provided for insuring that the semaphore arm will be displayeda predetermined time and then released to permit it to move intooperative position by its own weight. The said means is in the form of alever 21 which is pivoted to the post adjacent to the semaphore arm.This lever is adapted to be engaged by a ratchet bar 22 with the bearingof the extension 4.

en the signal is moved upwardly into the broken line position of Fig. 1the ratchet bar engages one end of the lever 21, and swings the saidlever. The other end of the lever extends into a casing 23 which issecured to the post" adjacent to' the semaphore arm and is adapted toengage a mechanism to be later described.

A plate 24 is mounted to move vertically on a pin 25 on a block 26 whichis secured within the case. The plate has an openin through which thepin extends, and the said late rests upon one end of a lever 27 which 1spivoted at 28 in the casing. The other end of the lever engages the bodyof the fork or yoke 29 at the upper end of a pendulum assembly 30, whichis pivoted at 31 in the casing. I

.This pendulum assembly is a part of an escapement mechanism,comprising, in addition, a toothed wheel 32 journaled in the casing, andthe arms of the fork or yoke engage the teeth of the wheel in suchmanner that when the pendulum swings the wheel will be permitted torotate in the'manner of an escapement.

A lever 33 is pivoted to the axis of the wheel, and this lever carries aweight 34 at the and adjacent to the plate 24 and the wheel, asindicated in which is adapted to engage the said plate 24 underconditions to be presently described. 1

A pawl 35 is pivoted to the lever, and this pawl 35 is pressed intoengagement with the teeth of the wheel 32 by a spring 36 arrangedbetween the pawl and the lever.

The operation of this part of the mechanism is as follows: When thesemaphore arm is swung upwardly the lever 21 is rocked, and that end ofthe lever which is within'the case engages the weight 34 and lifts saidweight, as shown in Fig. 3. The pawl by its engagement with theratchetwheel 32 prevents downward movement of the weight, unless thewheel turns as the weight moves vdown, and the esca ement mechanismslows the movement 0 the wheel '32. It 'will be obvious that by properarrangement of the parts, the extent of time required for the end of thelever being in engagement with the body of the yoke and stops the move-I ment of the pendulum, with one of the arms of the yoke in engagementwith the teeth of the wheel, thus checking the movement of dotted linesin Fig. 3. A gong 35 is arranged within the casing in such position thatwhenthe pendulum swings it will strike the gong to provlde an audiblewarnin At a crossing,. or instance, one of the posts 1 provided with itssignal is arranged on each side of the crossing on each roadway, asshown in Fig. 7, and a pit 5 provided with its block 8 is -arran ed insuit-' able position near each post. aoh of the angles to the roadway inwhich 1s the pit,

so that when the block 8 is swung by a ve- 1 15 hicle approaching thecrossing signals will be displayed on the cross road at each side of thecroing Where there is a bad turn orany other danger point out singleroad, signals will be arranged on each side thereof and so connectedthat a. vehicle approaching from either direction will display thesignal on the opposite side of the danger point.

Ic aimr/ 1. In combination with a semaphore arm and means adapted to becontrolled by a moving car for lifting said am to danger. position,means for holding said arm in danger posltion independent of the vehicle130 controlled operating means, and time controlled means for releasingsaid holding means after a predetermined length of time, and an audiblesignal operated byth'e time controlled means.

2. In combination with a semaphore arm and means adapted to becontrolled by a moving car for lifting said arm to danger position,means for holding said arm in danger position independent of the vehiclecontrolled, operating means, and time controlled means for releasingsaid holding means after a predetermined length of time.

3. In combination with a normally inoperative signal and meanscontrolled by a moving vehicle for operating said si al to dangerposition from a distance, means independent of the vehicle controlledmeans for holding said signal in danger position, and means 'forreleasing said holding means after a predetermined length of time topermit the signal to move into inoperative position. 4. In combinationwith a normally inoperative signal and means controlled bya movingvehicle for operating said signal v to danger pos1tion from a distance,and means independent of the vehic controlled means for holding saidsignal in anger pov sition for a predetermined length of time after thepassage of the vehicle.

5. In combination, a semaphore arm supported to normally swingintoinoperative position, vehicle controlled means operable from adistance forl1ft1ng said arm to danger position, releasable means forholdingthe arm lifted and .escapement-controlled means for releasingsaid holdin means after a predetermined'length of tlme.

6. In a device of the aiaracter specified,

the combination with the semaphore arm,- of means controlled by a movingvehicle for operating the same, saidmeans including a block adapted tobe engaged by the wheels of the vehicle, said block having guidedmovement to be moved laterally and then vertically when engaged by theWheels of a car going in one direction and to be moved vertically whenengaged by the-wheels of a car going in the other direction, springs forho ding the block in normal position in the path of movement of thewheels, and means for preventing lateral movement in wheels of a cargoing in the other direction,

and springs for holdlng the block in normal position in the path ofmovement of the wheels.

IRA BAILEY

